My current work plays with nature in the form of beautiful things...birds and flowers appear in exuberant and joyously colourful settings. Worlds of flight, scent and growth appear harmonious and vibrant, but there is a strange sense of vulnerability about the birds, reflecting the tenuous position they now hold in a world of rapid environmental change where traditional food sources necessary for survival are no longer as readily available as they once were. This is an exploration to see whether birds and plants can survive in an increasingly foreign, human-constructed environment. How does wildlife adapt to unwild / unnatural habitat? Will these beautiful creatures be able to survive the current destruction of nature's precious ecosystems? The works encompass a celebration of nature's bounty and beauty, as well as a feeling of trepidation that many gorgeous wild birds are currently on the brink of irreversible extinction if we continue to destroy their habitat through insensitive development. The imagery is influenced by botanical illustration, wildlife photography, and the depiction of birds and flowers throughout the history of textile design. Perhaps by taking a closer look at the beautiful birds of the air and plant life of the Earth we will be inspired to protect them, and find it easier to give up our environmentally destructive habits in favour of protecting these living treasures from extinction. Born 1974, Sydney, Australia Lives and works in Northern NSW, Australia education & training 1999 Bachelor of Visual Arts (final semester) Pratt Institute, New York 1996-98 Bachelor of Visual Arts, Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW solo exhibitions 2008 Canary in a coalmine, upcoming exhibition of works on paper opens Dec 12th at Tweed River Regional Art Gallery 2007 Tiny Feathers, paintings on canvas, Art Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby NSW 2007 Picturebook, works on paper, The Little Booktree, Bangalow, NSW 2006 The Troupe, Cape Gallery, Byron Bay NSW 2001 Lost & Found, Lismore Regional Art Gallery NSW 2000 Tales from Around the World, Oz Frame Gallery, Melbourne selected group exhibitions 2007 Flowers, Art Piece Gallery, Mullumbimby NSW 2006 Selected works, Cape Gallery Byron Bay NSW 2005 FEHVA, Byron Bay NSW 2005 Selected works, Byron Fine Art Gallery, Byron Bay NSW 2005 Selected works, Barebones Artspace, Bangalow NSW 2003 Street Speak, group exhibition, Albert & Piccolo Gallery, New York 2002 Five Places To See, Waywood Gallery, Byron Bay 1999 Firecracker, Schaefler Gallery, New York 1998 11th Annual Bachelor of Arts Graduate Exhibition, SCU Lismore NSW awards & residencies 1999 Student exchange program at Pratt Institute of Art, New York 1992 ArtExpress - The Processes Exhibition, Sydney NSW